The student will investigate and understand how plants and animals, including humans, in an ecosystem interact with one another and with the nonliving components in the ecosystems. Key concepts include influence of human activity on ecosystems.

The natural world is understandable.

Science is a blend of imagination.

Science is a social activity.

Science demands evidence.

Science is durable.

Scientific ideas are subjective to change.

Student Objective(s) for this lesson: ​ ​

Students will learn the meaning of native, nonnative, and invasive.

Students will identify a variety of insects in their community.

Students will determine which insects are native to Virginia.

Students will research where invasive insects are originally from.

Students will understand how invasive insects arrived in Virginia.

Students will understand the positive and negative impacts of insects.

Students will understand how invasive species affect our ecosystem.

Misconceptions to address in this lesson: ​ ​

Native insects can also cause damage to trees. The difference is that there are natural predators and other factors, such as temperature, to keep native insect populations manageable. This is not always the case for invasive insects. ​ ​